Electric clock.



(a. BLUMBEHG 41.4 BUTKUS.

ELECTRIC CLOCK.

APPLICATION men OCT. l3. ms.

Patented Oct. 23, 1917.

G. BLUMBERG 61!. A. BUTKUS.

ELECIRHI CLOCK.

APPLICATION man our. 1a. 1915.

Patented Oct. 23,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEL'I 2.

6 m in V// ////V OJ 1.

I Illbz GUSTAV BLUMBEBG AEND OHN A. BUTKUS, F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

ELECTRIC CLOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

rammed Oct. 23, 1917.

Application. filed October 13, 1915. Serial No. 55,682.

full, clear, and. exact description of the invcntion, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

' Our invention relates to electric clocks,

such as are complete in themselves and require no connection with a central clock or "is? -of-our invention isto produce an electric an outside source of electricity. The object clock which shall be, entirely devoid of "trical mechanism can be springs inthe time train and which shall be simple, cheap, reliable and in which the elecuickly removed from the time mechanism renewal or repairs.

In the drawings Figure 1, is a" front view of our'improved clock-showing the case, dial and hands; Fig.2,is a side view thereof; Fig. 3, is a, front View 'of the time train and the electrical mechanism, certain features of the time trainbeing omitted";

Fig. ,4, is a view of the electrical mecha+ nism' looking inthe direction of the arrow Fig. 5, is an"en1argedsectiona1 view of our improved clock alongthe lin'e 5-5 0f Fig.1 looting in the direction of the arrows; certain featlires of the time train being omitted;

. ,i Fig. 6, is an enlarged sectional'view of our im roved clock' along the line of Fig.

1f ooking in the direction'of the arrows;-

certain features of the time train and electrical mechanism being omitted; and

Fig. 7, a diagram ofconn'ections of our 'improved clock.

ig.'8 is a detailed perspective View of 1 some of the .worhing parts of ourimproved f electric clock, hereinafter referred to.

In the drawings p a represents a baseboard of our improved clock to which two side pieces 11-11 are s'ec'uredin any approved manner. The

side pi'eccs 11-11 are connected at their tops by the baton 12. A door 13 is hinged as at or examination,-

with a lock having a key hole 15 for locking the other side of the door 13 to the left hand side 11. The door 13 is provided with acircular opening 16, which is closed by a glass plate 17; The sides 11-11 are pro vided with grooves in which slide the rabbets 18-18 formed on the back board 19. The back board 19 is secured to the top 20 and'the baton 21'is glued in the angle between the back board 19 and the top 20 to strengthen the juncture between said parts. The top 20 is. adapted to'rest across the top ends of the sides 1-111, and the top ofthe door 13. A door 22 is hinged as at 23-23 to the base board 10 and is provided at its upper edge with a rabbet 24 which is overlaid by the rabbet 25 on the lower edge of the door 13, so that when the latter door is locked it will also secure the door 22. A

board 26 extends between the sides 1111 and between the said board and the base board 10 partitions such. as at 27 are secured.- The board 26 and partitions 27 do not extend to the back board 19 but terminate at suiiicient distance therefrom to permit the passage of the connectors 28 when the back board 19 is removed from the case as hereinafter described.

-' There are two connectors 28-28 for each battery 29 employed, and there may be as -many batteries such as 29 as it is desirable to use. The batteries 29 are provided with two spring clips such as 30 for each terminal of each batteryand said springfclips are .so located so that when each battery is pushed into the compartment formed by the partitions '27 said clips 30 will make proper contact with the connectors 28 as shown in Fi .6. p gcrews such as 313131 secure 'the byjposts'such I 6.. The plates wand 33 support an ordinary of the plate 33 by tl..- following instrumentalities. Posts such as 40-40 are riveted to the plate 39 and the'front ends of said posts are reduced in diameter as at 41-41 andpass through holes provided in the plate 33. A cotter pin such as 42 is passed thro u h the portions 41-41 on the front side of the plate 33 andthus kee s the plate 39 in proper relation to the p ate 33 as shown in Fi s. 3', 5 and 6.

The plate 39 exterids toward the right, (as shown in Fig. 3), lfild is provided with a downward extension 43 to which is secured the solenoid 44. v

The solenoid 44 is formed with two insu lating end pieces 45 provided with a central hole and joined together by an insulating tube not',shou-'n. The ends 4545. are se-' cured to the extension 43 by the screws 46 46; The solenoid 44 is wound withja pluralitof turns of wire of any suitable size an the ends 4747 of said winding arebrou ht througlrthe lower endpiece 45 of the so enoid.

A condenser consisting of two plates 48 and 49,: (see Fi 7), is wou'hd 1n cylindrical form, as 5 Own at 50 in Figs. 3 and 5, and provided with terminals 51 and 52 by which the condenser is secured to the ends. 45-45 by the screws 53, 53.

A core'such as 54, preferably formed of soft iron or steel, moves 'frecly inf the tube joining the ends 4545 of the solenoid. The upper end. of the core 54 is provided with a threaded hole such as 55 in which is screwed the threaded wire 56. The wire end of-;the wire 56-,is provided with a hole in which fits loosely a shoulder portion (pro;

vided on the screw 57. The inner en the screw 57 is'threaded as at. 58 and is screwed into'one end of the link 59. The

other end of the link .59 is provided with a hole which works freely on a shoulder provided on a screw 66 and the inner end of thescrew 60 is threaded .as-at 61, the

threaded portion 6'1 being screwed in to the i lever 62.

- 'The lever 62 is rev'olubly' mounted on one of the'pintles; such as 630i the time train;

reached the limit of its' downward move- -a. slot and in said slot the pawl 76:,-

;position shown in Figs r y ,the inner end 79 thereof shall overlie point of the star wheel 68 (see Fig.6).

' that the pomt,'19 .0

The pintle 63 has rigidly attached thereto a ratchet wheel 64,v and a pawl 65 pivotally mounted on the lever 62 is kept in engages 80. ment it must be restored to the'position shown in Fig; 3 in order to provide fo'r the continuous movement of the time train.- The instrumentalities by which we accom plish the intermittent restoration of the core 54 to the position shown in F ig.-3, will now be described.

A five ointed star wheel 68 is revolubly mounted 1n any approved manner upon the plate 39 anda five'pointed ratchet wheel such as 69 is rigidly secured to, the star wheel 68, the axes of both wheels being in line. The relative position of the POIDtS of the star wheel 68 and the points .of the ratchet wheel. 69 are shown in Fig.'3,'and 95 as ring such as 70 is provided to keep sai star and ratchet wheels in the position shown in said figure.

The spring 70. is secured in the ost 71 and the latter is mounted on the p ate- 39. The s ring 70 is provided with two depressions 72 and 73, the former of which em-' braces oneof the .oints of the ratchet wheel 69 when the end 4 contacts with the. point of the adjacent tooth of said ratchetwheeh This action of the depression 72 and end 74 of the spring 70 upon the points-ottwo. adjacent teeth of the ratchet wheel '69 holds said ratchet wheel and star .wheely-68jf-in the positions shown in'Fig. 3.

'4 small bracket such as 75 isflsec the lever 62. This bracket is provide 'wl too ally mounted on a pin 77. The pair? K6 as a, weighted end 78 which retains lie Another bracket 80 is secured to thele 6'2. Said bracket is provided with alxjsfot and in said slot the pawl 81 is pivotally mounted on the pin 82. The inner end'83 of the pawl 81 is so placed-thatit'shalli'um derlie one of the points of thestar'wheel' sli6wninFigs.3,4and 5'. v 'Q 1;.

The pawls 76 and 81 QI'GZPIQV-idBd with} suitable stops man} approved manner so theformer can move 1 downwardly from the position shown in Fig. 4 but not upwardly from said position, and-so that the oint 83 of the latter can move upwardly fi 'om the position shown in Fig. 4 but not downwardly therefrom.

A post. such as 84 is mounted .on the plate 39 but insulated therefrom, by insulation such as 85. To the post 84 is secured one end of thespring 86, the fre end of which is located to be touched by the ends ofthe teeth of the star wheel 68.

The electrical connections of our im-' proved clock are "as ;follows':--

One terminal .of the battery nected with the spring 86, the other terminal of said battery is connected with one terminal of the solenoid 44 and theother ter which said plate of the condenser is placedin' electrical connection: with. one terminal of star wheel 68 downwardly, this motion w'll minal of saidsolenoid is connected with the plate 39- which is in electrical connection with the star wheel 68. One plate 49 of thecondenser is connected with the plate 39b the solenoid 44'and the star wheel 68,-and

the other'plate'48 of said condenser is con-a being in the positions shown in 'Fig. 3, the wei ht of the core 54 and other parts supporte by the lever 62 will act to move the ratchet wheel 64 in the direction of the arrow 67 and thus move the time train and hands 37 at a rate determined by the oscillation-of the pendulum at dwire 87. The lever' 62 andattached tinue to mo'i'e'downwardlyi'a of the pawl 76 will movethe 00th 88 of the continue until the point of the tooth 89 the ratchet wheel 69 enters the dcpression'ij :3

of the/spring 70 and then the pressure-of said spring against the point .of the tooth 89 will..continue the'upward movementof said tooth and bring the point of the tooth- 90 of the star" wheel 68 into contact with the end of the spring 86 as shown dotted in Fig. 7. During the upward movement of the tooth 90, (see Fig.7) it will strike; the inner end 83 of the pawl 81 and move said point 83 upwardly until said tobth 90 passes the end 83 of the pawl 81, then said pawl will drop in to the same relation to -the bracket 80 as shown in Fig. 4, thus putting the point 83 of the pawl 81 under the tooth 90 of the star wheel 68. When the -tooth'90 makes contact with the spring 86, a current 29 is can.

to the of electricity flows through the solenoid 44, the core 54 is then attracted upwardly, this moves the lever (52 upwardly and the point 83 of' the pawl 81 being under the tooth 90 as just described, moves said tooth upwardly and from contact with the spring 86,

the current of electricity ceases to How, the

upward motion of the core 54 is terminated and the spring v holds the star wheel 68 in the position shown in Fig. 3 as before described.

During the upward motion of the tooth 90 caused by the point 83 of the mud 81, the tooth 91 of the star wheel ()8 will strike the nd 79 of the pawl 76 ands-move said cud downwardly until said tooth 91 releases said end 79. The weighted portion 78 of the pawl 76 will then bring the end 7 9 into the position shown in Fig. 4, so .that it can repeat the same function with reference to the.

--tooth as has just been described with ref- .erence to thetooth 90.

Hence it is evident that each time the core 54 reaches its lowest position, a tooth of the star wheel GSJnakes contact with the spring 86,- thecore 54 is attracted upwardly, said contact is broken and the pawl '65 co-acts with one of the teeth of the ratchet wheel 64 to lock said ratchet wheel and lever 62 togetheig-"so that the :weight'of the core 54,

lever 62"and attached parts will continu ously move the time train.

' When" the tooth 90.is moved from contact with the spring8 6', the cgrtra' current of self;

induction will accumulate on the plates of the condenser and hence obviate'arcing between the tooth and spring 86. When the time train or the electrical mechanism or both are to'be removed from the casing for examination, renewals or repairs, the door 13 is to be opened. the-door 22 turned downwardly, and the batteries 29 pulled out until the clips 30 are free from the connectors 28. The top 20 and the back, board .19 with the attached time train and electrical mechanism can then be raised vertically from; the sides 11-41.

- If it isdesired to work on the electrical mechanism, or to place a' new electrical mechanism in combination with the. time train, this can readily be elfctcdby removing' the cottcn'pin 42 and moving the plate 39 liackwardly until the reduced portions 41 of the studs lli 'are clear of the plate 33.

It is also evident that while the door 22 .is opened, that new batteries can be readily placed in the compartments formcdby the artitions 2 ()ne of the battery terminals is-screwed tocthe plate 39 in any approved manner and the other battery terminal is attached to the insulated post 84 in any approved manner.

When it is desired to adjust the relative positions of the solenoid 44 and solenoid core 54, this is readily effected by turning the latter in either direction, wh ch causes the core 54 to move upwardly or downwardly with reference to the threaded wire 56.

When it is. desired to adjust the normal position of the star wheel 68, this is eflected by loosening the screw 92 and moving the spring 70 in the desired direction.

When it is desired to adjust the osition at which the tooth of the star w eel 68 breaks contact with the spring 86, thisis efiected by loosening the screw 93 and moving the spring 86 either upwardly or down-- wardly.

\Ve claim 1. The combination with a lever, of a solenoid core, a solenoid, astar wheel, a pawl operated by said lever"to move said star wheel in one direction, a second pawl 0perated by said lever to move said star wheel in the oppositedireetion, a ratchet wheel mounted on said star wheel and a spring acting on said ratchet wheel to move said star wheel slightly after it has been moved bythe first of said pawls, and to hold said star wheel in the position into which it is moved by the second of said pawls.

2. The combination with a lever, of a solenoid core, a solenoid, a star wheel, a pawl operated by said lever to move said star wheel in one direction, a second pawl operated by said lever to move said star wheel in the oppositedrrectlon, a source of electricity, a circuit including, said source of 4. The combination with a lever, of a solenoid core, a solenoid, a star wheel, means carried by said lever for mov ng'said star wheel in opposite directions, a; spring adapted to make and break contact with the points of said star wheel, a ratchet wheel carried by said star wheel, and a spring bearing against the points of said ratchet.

wheel. 5. The combination with a lever, of a solenoid core, a solenoid, a star wheel, means carried by said lever for moving said star wheel in opposite directions, a spring adaptedto make-and break contact with the points of said star wheel, a ratchet wheel carried by said star wheel, a spring bearing against -the points of said ratchet wheel, and means for adjusting. the relative positions of said last named spring and said ratchet wheel.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures. 1

GUSTAV. BLUMBERG. JOHN A. BUTKUS. 

